Berkshire Freemasons supply face masks to help in the PPE crisis

Berkshire Freemasons have answered the call for face masks for local care homes and other facilities. Over 200 face masks were delivered in early April 2020, with a further 300 due in the following month, to Berkshire care homes, hospitals, and prisons

When the PPE crisis made headlines in early April, Graham Wignall, from the Berkshire section of the Freemasons Bikers Association, answered the call and joined a Group who were printing face masks with 3D printers. The objective was to manufacture 100,000 for the UK NHS PPE stockpile.

Unfortunately, Graham’s printer was too small to meet the requirements of the Group. Undaunted, and after finding a design appropriate for his printer, he started to produce face masks, but the volume was not sufficient. Joining together with other member of the Widow’s Sons Biker Association in Berkshire a production line was set up to print the carriers, gather all the other material and assemble face shields.

After a week's production, 200 completed face shields were delivered to care home, hospitals, and prisons in Berkshire. And, now the production has been streamlined, a further 300 will be delivered in April and demand is still rising.

Graham said: 'Putting this together was complicated, but we all pulled together and have delivered for our local NHS and care home facilities.'

Anthony Howlett-Bolton, Provincial Grand Master for Berkshire, said: 'This effort from a number of Berkshire Freemasons and their friends is superb. It shows what can be done to help our NHS, care homes and prisons in this time of national crisis. Pulling together to help our local communities is a core strand of Freemasonry.'